As one of Dell‘s most popular rack servers in the late 2000s, the PowerEdge 2950 delivered enterprise-grade capabilities in a compact 2U form factor. For small and mid-size businesses, it consolidated workloads like file/print, messaging, and databases into an affordable virtualization platform.
Now over 15 years old, can this tiny titan still provide value in the modern data center? Absolutely! While the 2950 has obviously aged from a performance perspective, it remains a rugged and versatile box. As we‘ll explore in this guide, with some hardware upgrades and OS tweaking, you can transform one of these old servers into a capable home lab machine.
A Brief History of the 2950‘s Target Market and Key Capabilities
Launched in 2006, the Dell PowerEdge 2950 entered a booming mid-range server market. Enterprise IT departments were rapidly consolidating physical servers through new virtualization technology. The 2950 provided an ideal platform for this shift, cramming robust components into a tiny rackmount chassis.
For under $1500, buyers got dual socket motherboards supporting the latest 64-bit Xeon 5000 series processors. Quad-core CPUS with high clock speeds up to 3GHz provided ample horsepower for running VMware ESX and Microsoft Hyper-V.
Storage capabilities scaled from a few hundred gigabytes up to 4.5TB internally by populating hot-swappable drive bays. Network throughput reached 1Gbps via dual embedded NICs. Most importantly, redundant 760W power supplies and hot-swap fans ensured maximum uptime.
This combination of density, performance, and reliability made the 2950 a hit. According to industry research firm IDC, Dell‘s 9th generation PowerEdge series achieved over 15% market share in the first year alone. Many credit the 2950 as the catalyst for this success.
Diving Into the 2950‘s Technical Specifications and Benchmark Performance
As a 2U chassis, the 2950 could pack far more hardware than your average tower server, enabling great virtualization density. But what exactly could you configure under the hood? Here‘s an overview:
Processor Options
Buyers could equip a single CPU or both sockets:
- Intel Xeon 5100 series – up to dual-core 3GHz
- Intel Xeon 5000 series – up to quad-core 3GHz
Benchmarks of the time measured a dual quad-core configuration scoring 12,000 on PassMark and 140 on Cinebench. This roughly equates to the power of a modern mid-range laptop CPU. While no speed demon today, it had some respectable metrics 15 years ago!
Memory Configurations
Officially supporting up to 64GB of ECC RAM across 8 DIMM slots, most 2950s shipped with just 2-4GB. Maxing it out took 16 x 4GB sticks costing around $3000 total!
Today 16GB kits cost under $70, making the maximum config much more viable for home labs. More memory enables you to virtualize modern OSes like Windows Server 2022.
Storage Capacity Scales to 4.5TB
Using hot-swappable drive carriers, storage scaled enormously:
- 8 x 2.5" 10K RPM SAS drives = 1.6TB total
- 6 x 3.5" 7200 RPM SATA drives = 4.5TB total
Combined with the SAS 6iR RAID card for RAID 10 support, you could achieve impressive IOPS for databases and high performance virtualization.
For home media servers, filling all 3.5" bays with today‘s 18TB drives nets you over 100TB!
Network Throughput and Capabilities
Every 2950 shipped with dual embedded Broadcom GbE NICs. Optional cards boosted this to 10GbE speeds. This delivers ample performance for home use, although virtualization would benefit from link aggregation across both ports.
VPN and firewall tasks are also well suited thanks to a 64-bit/66MHz PCI-X slot. Overall the networking specs enable usage flexibility within normal home constraints.
Comparing the 2950 against newer PowerEdge models reveals just how radically enterprise computing has transformed:
| PowerEdge 2950 | PowerEdge R740xd | |
| Release Year | 2006 | 2021 |
| CPU Cores | 4 | 28 |
| Max RAM | 64GB | 3TB |
| RAID | SAS 6iR | PERC HBA330 |
| Network | 2 x 1GbE | 4 x 10GbE + 2 x 1GbE |
Everything has scaled enormously over 15 years, especially processors and memory. But the 2950 first pioneered many reliability features we now take for granted like hot-swap drives.
Achieving Modern Software Compatibility
Although end-of-life since 2011, the 2950 can still handle recent Linux distributions and even Windows Server versions with some tweaking:
Linux Just Works Out of the Box
All modern versions of Ubuntu Server, RHEL, CentOS, etc. support the 2950‘s hardware. For a GUI, Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 also installs smoothly. With Linux you can instantly put an old 2950 to good use.
Windows Server Requires Custom Drivers
Officially, Dell only supports up to Server 2008 R2. But by injecting custom storage, network, and chipset drivers at install, Server 2022 works flawlessly. I‘ve also had luck with Windows 10 for simple AD domain controllers.
The process feels a bit homebrew, but so far my test 2950 has remained stable as a daily driver with Windows Server 2022. Just be cautions applying system updates.
Virtualization Limitations
The 2950 shipped with VMware ESX 3.5, but unofficially runs up to 6.7 by loading custom Dell ESXi images. You also get support for a Windows Server 2022 Hyper-V host. Just temper expectations – you won‘t be virtualizing dozens of machines.
Focus on running one or two VMs for infrastructure applications like DNS, DHCP, file serving, etc. This transforms the 2950 from an old server into a modern, consolidated appliance.
Purchasing a Dell PowerEdge 2950 in 2023
Since the 2950 has been end-of-lifed since 2011, Dell no longer sells new units. However, many refurbished/used servers are still available through various channels:
Home Lab Purchase Considerations
If buying a 2950 for hobbyist usage, maximize cost savings over hardware specs:
- Check eBay for units in fair condition around $100. Focus on reliability over components.
- Any CPU, RAM, and storage can be upgraded later as budget allows.
Pay close attention to rails, bezels, and warranty periods. Units missing rails become difficult to rack mount.
Business/Production Server Buying Checklist
When purchasing 2950 refurbs for business use, prioritize reputable vendors and warranty coverage:
- Amazon offers basic tested/booting servers starting around $250.
- VARs like Orange Computers provide warrantied units tested for PCI compliance from $500.
Carefully evaluate processor family, RAM amount, RAID card quality, rail condition, power supply age, and dust buildup.
Bottom line – the cost of a fully vetted 2950 from a reputable VAR pays dividends through reliability and support.
Creative Ways to Repurpose a PowerEdge 2950
Even with 2006-era specifications, a 2950 still provides ample utility for homelab usage. What are some potential projects?
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
For bulk storage, load the 3.5" bays with large SATA disks. Trying mirroring disks for data redundancy using the onboard PERC. Organize your media files or backup other PCs.
Surveillance Camera Server
Add a GPU to run security camera software like BlueIris or ZoneMinder. The 2950 has plenty of horsepower to manage multiple high resolution streams.
Media Server
Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin offer awesome ways to stream your movie and TV libraries. Just ensure you have enough storage for bulk collections!
Private Cloud Server
With some RAM and flash storage upgrades, you could run modern VMware, Proxmox, or oVirt to host cloud workloads. It takes patience navigating old hardware quirks but pays educational dividends.
Email Server
Manage your own private secure email on a 2950 via platforms like Mail-in-a-Box or MailCow on Linux. Learn email server mgmt without risking your day job!
Game Servers
Host a private Minecraft server for friends. Or install SteamCMD to boot up older game servers like Counter-Strike 1.6!
Closing Recommendations
I hope this guide has shown that with the right software and upgrades, the Dell PowerEdge 2950 can still provide practical utility over 15 years since initial release.
It takes some tinkering compared to modern hardware, but makes for a great entry level homelab server. Just be selective when buying old enterprise gear – working carefully to maximize reliability and support options within your budget.
If you decide to pick up a 2950, I‘d be curious to hear what cool projects you create! Feel free to reach out on Twitter @serverguides.
